Wrong Direction
Reverse Causation
Mistaking the effect for the cause — assuming that because two things correlate, the direction of causation is the opposite of what it actually is.
EverydayConcepts.io
Origin
The problem of causal direction was recognized at least as early as David Hume, who argued in the 1740s that cause must precede effect. As a named methodological hazard in empirical research, Austin Bradford Hill gave the issue its modern prominence in his 1965 address "The Environment and Disease: Association or Causation?", listing temporality as one of nine criteria for inferring causation. His framework — now called the Bradford Hill criteria — became the standard checklist for epidemiologists worldwide.
Updated February 22, 2026